This invention is directed to a coffee blending and dispensing apparatus and more specifically to a computer controlled coffee blending and dispensing apparatus whereby the individual customer may personally customize a coffee blend to his or her individual desire.
For a long time, coffee has been a beverage enjoyed by many people worldwide, and the popularity of which is steadily increasing. Coffee is grown in many different countries. Because of the various climatic conditions under which such coffees are grown, each such coffee region produces coffee beans that have its own characteristic taste, smell and/or flavor. Such coffees, over time, have been combined and blended by the major coffee manufacturers and/or distributors in an effort to achieve a coffee flavor or taste acceptable to the mass market. In view of the increasing popularity of coffee, many gourmet type coffee houses have come into existence. The increasing popularity of such gourmet coffee houses has created a demand whereby coffee drinkers have developed a desire to customize their own individual special blends at the point of purchase.
Therefore, efforts have been made to develop coffee bean dispensing machines to meet this individual customizing demand. Such known efforts are disclosed in several of my prior patents, viz. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,603,458; 5,632,449; and 5,690,283. This invention constitutes a further improvement and/or advance in customized coffee blending machines of the kind disclosed in the foregoing noted U.S. patents.
An object of this invention is to provide a coffee blender apparatus arranged and constructed to facilitate the loading of the coffee bins and the dispensing and weighing of the respective different types of coffee selected by a particular user to formulate the desired blend.
Another object is to provide a coffee blender apparatus with a timer and/or sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a container or bag at the loading or bagging station.
Another object is to provide a novel coffee blender apparatus that is relatively simple and positive in operation.
The foregoing objects and other features and advantages are attained by a coffee blender apparatus that includes a base or stand for supporting thereon a plurality of coffee bins, each bin containing a supply of a different type of coffee bean. In the illustrated embodiment, the respective coffee bins are circumferentially disposed on the base or stand. Mounted above the coffee bins is a distribution housing on which a source of negative pressure, e.g. a vacuum pump or motor, is supported. Below the coffee bins there is provided a scale to weigh the coffee beans that are selectively discharged from the respective coffee bins to form the desired mix or blend of the coffee beans. Each of the respective coffee bins is provided with a controlled outlet and a connected chute or discharge conduit for directing the coffee beans being discharged to the scale to be weighed.
A suction or distributor tube or conduit extends from the vacuum source to near the bottom of the scale. Connected to the distribution housing and distributor conduit are a plurality of branch conduits and an appropriate valving means for selectively connecting the suction distributor conduit to each of the respective branch conduits and associated coffee bins. A branch conduit also interconnects the distribution conduit to a receiving chamber to which the blended or mixed coffee beans are directed prior to bagging.
Operatively connected to the receiving chamber is an associated grinder and a coffee bean chute for directing either ground coffee or the whole coffee bean to a bagging station where the blended coffee is bagged. The arrangement is such that the customer may selectively grind the coffee beans or not grind the coffee beans according to his or her desire.
To load the coffee beans into their respective coffee bins, a loading hopper and associated chute is provided whereby the various types of coffee beans to be loaded in the respective bins are first directed to the scale and subsequently to the appropriate coffee bins by negative or suction pressure via the distribution conduit and connected branch conduits. Alternatively, the top of the respective bins may be provided with a hinged cover to effect the loading of the respective bins from the top.
The bagging station is provided with a suitable sensor and/or timer for sensing the presence or absence of a bag or container. The arrangement is such that the blended coffee in the receiving chamber will not be discharged unless a bag is sensed or present at the loading station.
In accordance with this invention, a central processing unit (CPU) is operatively connected to the coffee blender. The CPU is suitably programmed for controlling and sequencing the operation of the coffee blending apparatus whereby an individual customer may customize his or her own personal coffee blend. A printer is electrically connected to the CPU to effect the printing of a label containing relevant information, e.g. the type of coffees blended, weight, price, customer""s name and/or any other relevant marketing information which is required and/or programmed into the CPU.